Logistics - Supply Chain Management - Careers Occupations - Newcastle University

Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Logistics and supply management employs about two million people in the UK (one in 12 of the working population). Without it most business activities wouldn't function. Careers advice. Industry news. Sources of sector news include Logistics Manager and Supply Management. Professional bodies. These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates. They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies. The main professional associations for this sector include: Making contacts. Making contacts can be helpful for success in this sector. Some jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start with: Graduate Connections – graduates happy to give you information and advice about the kind of work they do social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, which is useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice. Events. Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and other events provide insight and the opportunity to make useful contacts. Regular events for this sector include employer presentations. For more events for this sector, see Careers Service events and External Events. Related sectors. Or see our other Sector-specific pages for more options. Roles & Skills. The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies. Logistics/distribution manager. Supply chain manager. Warehouse manager. Skills employers look for. Employers look for skills including: numeracy, analytical abilities and strong problem solving skills leadership and people management capacity interpersonal and communication skills, including motivation, influence and persuasion time management, planning and organising problem solving, decision making and using initiative the ability to work under pressure. Gaining Experience. Internships and work placements can give you vital experience in this sector. Internships and placements. Most large graduate employers will offer summer or year placements in their operations departments. This is especially true of the retail, engineering and fast moving consumer goods sectors. See Internships, placements and shadowing for websites advertising placements. TARGETjobs also lists relevant internships and placements. Work experience. For experience in smaller companies or specific areas of work contact individuals who work in the sector. Be specific about why you are writing and what you are looking for. It helps if you can explain your motivation and suitability to work for that organisation. Informational interviews or work shadowing can give you insight. This is true in roles where it is difficult to get hands-on or paid experience as an undergraduate, such as operations management. Find local companies offering work experience in the North East Graduate Directory - a database searchable by industry sector. More resources for speculative approaches are in Making Contacts and Finding Jobs. Part-time work. Part-time work within the sector is possible and could help you to gain contacts and develop your knowledge of the industry. Examples of relevant opportunities include: warehousing, storage, retail and administration. See Part-time jobs to search for opportunities. If you are having difficulty finding related experience, consider: volunteering – charities often have supply chain opportunities or roles to develop relevant skills extra-curricular projects – see the Student Initiative Fund for information on funding your project developing entrepreneurial skills – see Work for Yourself linking your thesis or dissertation with a company project. Speak to your module leader or project supervisor to check if this is allowed. Finding Jobs. There are many vacancy sources for the logistics and supply chain sector listed below. Vacancy sites. CILT UK: Logistics and Transport jobs Supply Management Jobs Jobs4logistics.com SupplyChainRecruit.com SupplyChainOnline Careers-Guide.com - logistics and transport jobs by region Careers in Logistics. Graduate schemes and entry level jobs. Specialist recruitment agencies. Finding companies. Not all jobs are advertised. You can approach companies or find work through networking in the industry. Find companies that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for. Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen. UKWA allows you to search for logistics organisations by service or location. See Graduate jobs for more vacancy sources. Back to Careers Service website Built Environment, Engineering & IT Business & Finance Accountancy & Tax Actuarial, Insurance & Pensions Administration Banking & Finance Buying & Selling Economics & Statistics Events Management Hospitality & Catering HR, Recruitment & Training Logistics & Supply Chain Management Management Consultancy Retail Education, Research & Not-For-Profit Law, Politics & Public Protection Media, Creative & Cultural Science & Health. 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